The movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is about power and control inside a mental institution. It shows that power and control can be caused by intimidation and effect different relationships in a variety of ways. The authority figures in the movie, such as nurse Ratched and her staff play a significant and role in the film. This movie also shows that friends and family can have a powerful effect on the decisions you make in both a positive and a negative way. The effects that the figures of authority have on the institutions patients are strong and make the patients feel intimidated and inferior the majority of the time. This manipulates the inmates and gives full power to the nursing staff and security personnel within the facility. When McMurphy is moved from jail to the institution his wild persona challenges the authority figures. This is when his inmates become aware of the power these people possess over them and the devious methods they use to stay in control.McMurphys rebellious attempts of showing the inmates that they are capable of being independent and that they are just as mentally capable of thinking for themselves as anybody outside of the mental institute, land McMurphy in some trouble with the institutions leaders. Not only does Nurse Ratched take away their privilege’s, she knows what each of the inmates weak points are and how to use them to her advantage and make sure she stays in control. She psychologically controls the way they respond to certain situations and the outlook they have on things. McMurphy’s extraverted personality is present the whole time he is in the institute although it tones down a little bit once he settles in. His spontaneous and witty ways trial the strict routine placed upon the institutions occupants. Billy Bibbit and the Chief are two of the characters that are affected by McMurphys point of view and wild habits in a colossal manner.Three specific ways that power and control are found within One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are:Power of the institution: this is shown by the manipulative manner the leaders of the institute psychologically control the patients. The institution's power runs the inmate’s lives. The food they eat, the allocated time they have to perform particular tasks, where they are allowed to go and certain responses they are allowed to have. The institution has firm guidelines and punishment is administered by nurse Ratched for wrong doings. Without nurse Ratched enforcing the rules the power of the instiution would be weak and have little or no affect on the inmates and the coices they make.Power of the individual: is shown throughout the movie in many ways. Power of the individual is represented by all of the decisions made by the characters. Nurse Ratched and the institutions staff are powerful individuals as well as the patients. The decisions that the individuals may not only affect themselves but affect their fellow characters. This occurs because of the strict conditions and the immense amount of control placed upon the inmates. The power of the individual is represented strongly when Billy Bibbit commits suicide from the pressure put on him by both his mother and nurse Ratched to live up to the expectations of his mother. This shows that the psychological power used to have control over an individual can tamper with their emotions and mental stability. Power of the individual is somewhat removed from the institutes patients. The concept of making their own decisions and facing reality is a hard subject for them to come to terms with.Individuals who are disempowered: many individuals are disempowered in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The confiscation of an individual’s power is a huge thing. An example of this is when McMurphy is given a lobotomy and all of his individual power is removed. Somebody else made the choice to banish McMurphys sense of self and power, his self-control and skills to make decisions for him or lead a group to make a decision ever again. Individuals who are disempowered experience intimidation and feel as though their self-control is completely banished. Disempowering somebody is a strong form of control.

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